


New Beginnings

by wizards_unlimited



Category: Dil Dosti Dance (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Break Up, Character Development, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Declarations Of Love, Definitely a lot of AU, F/M, First Love, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, I'm TRYING to fix it, Pining, Post-Break Up, Separations, Sharon is kind of a bitch at first but character development is a thing you know?, Swaron, catching feelings, non-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 15,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wizards_unlimited/pseuds/wizards_unlimited
Summary: My take on post-breakup (and completely ignoring the webisode on IG, because no. Just no.) I love these guys so a bunch of this will be fix-its. Updates every Monday between 7 pm-10 pm EST or Tuesday (in case of no Monday update) around the same time.*BLANKET DISCLAIMER: I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT OWN ANY PART OF THIS SHOW/ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. They belong to Palki ma'am and the team. I am simply creating a fan-work and would appreciate not getting the everloving shit sued out of me. I'm a poor college student and I live on ramen, cereal, and coffee (and chai when I can be bothered).*This story is also cross-posted on ff.net
Relationships: Taani Shekhawat/Reyaansh Singhania
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	1. A Storm is Brewing

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I started this because quarantine. My friends on discord have been super supportive and keep pushing me when I get stuck, so y'all get to read it this piece of "something" my brain came up with. We might see cameos and a whole lot of pining. 
> 
> A lot of this WILL deviate from canon and some characters are OOC, but bear with me! It's been a hot second since I've watched the show and I'm still trynna remember stuff. But also, I got supper vexed at how Taani was written in the show (I know, I know, VD had to leave and whatnot) but honestly, that arc could have been written SO MUCH better than it was. As always feedback is always appreciated!!

Standing at the window, peeking from around the curtains, she could see a shadow sitting on the bench. He’d returned every night for the past week, though she’d stopped leaving her window and shades open after the first two nights. Her resolve was crumbling too. 

A flash of lightning and the crack of a tree branch startled her into movement. The storm. She’d heard people say that this would be the worst storm of the year. It had been moving towards their city over the past month, gathering strength and rain, blowing past towns and leaving ruin in its wake. 

And yet, he hadn’t moved from his perch. Why? Why did he insist on bringing back what  _ he _ broke? He had done this to them and yet. And yet, he acted as if it was his heart that broke. 

Another crack of lightning and she shuddered. Curse her weak heart.  _ Only for him _ . She lost all sense when it came to him. She left everything for him and came to live with her brother because she fell in love. Not with him, but with his dance. He danced the way a poet wrote; fluid, sensual, passionately. It was his passion that drew her, and it was his passion that made him push her away. But her heart refused to listen. 

Her brother was asleep in his room and as she passed by, she could hear his gentle snores. Grabbing an umbrella, she swung open the door and made her way to the man on the white bench. 

“Come in. You’ll fall sick.” When had her voice choked up? When had the burning in her eyes started? He glanced up at her, his eyes just as full as hers. He’d been crying for hours, she could tell. 

“Taani, please. Taani I’m sorry. I’m-” she stopped him before he could continue and repeated her earlier statement. 

“Come in. You’ll fall sick.” She hated how hollow her voice sounded. She hated how hollow he’d made  _ her _ . She barely felt anything since they’d parted ways. 

Standing slowly, he brought his hand onto hers, holding the handle. At his first touch, she jerked her hand away as if burnt, leaving him to catch the falling object. Their eyes seemed to be engaged in a battle, neither willing to look away for the fear of the person in front of them disappearing. Unable to keep looking in the pool of tears, the pain in her heart making itself known, she tore herself away and began walking back towards the house, knowing he’d follow. ‘ _ He’d follow you anywhere and you know that. He’s proven it, so why are you making it so tough on the both of you?’ _ She knew. And yet, he’d left her like she was nothing. As much as she wished, he  _ had _ said those things about her, about their relationship. 

Glancing over her shoulder as she reached the door, she muttered, “Swayam is sleeping, take your shoes off at the door so the noise doesn’t wake him up.” With that, she took the umbrella from his hand and shook it off before placing it down by the door. She could feel his gaze burning into her. Why did he affect her so much? Would this feeling never go away? 


	2. You Have to Move On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to pace the chapters so each one will be 500-1200 words. There might be one or two longer ones but most of the time, it will be between the range.

Continuing on into her room, she looked behind her to see him stuck at the door, eyes wide, darting all over, before coming to rest on the brown wardrobe behind her.  _ Oh.  _ Yes, that was the place where it all started, wasn’t it? He’d backed her up and left her speechless with his confession. She remembered his words now. She remembered that conversation like it was yesterday. 

__

_ *Flashback* _

_ “Why weren’t you there Taani?” He moved forward, making her take a step back. His voice, usually so confident, sounded so lost.  _

__

_ “I- I was sick” she remembered the flimsy excuse she’d given her brother when he had invited her to their first basketball match. _

__

_ “Really? You really think that I can’t see through that lie?” _

__

_ “Not- not a lie, it’s the tr-truth” Why was her voice so hesitant? He had to believe that. He couldn’t know that she didn’t want to come because she was avoiding him. Her back hit the door. _

__

_ “Trust me Taani, no matter how much you run from the truth, it always follows you. Haunts you.” His eyes stared into her as she struggled to form a coherent thought when he was so close. “No one can escape reality Taani. And the truth is that I tried my hardest to stay away from you. To not think about you. But today? Today, when it was such a big day for our college, for our team, for  _ me _ , I’m not happy. Do you know why? Because you weren’t there. You weren’t with me. This win felt incomplete without you.  _ I  _ felt incomplete without you Taani. You know why? Cause I love you. I love you Taani.”  _

__

_ *End Flashback* _

The unshed tears from earlier were making themselves known on his cheeks now, relentlessly streaming down. She moved to call him, but her voice wouldn’t cooperate. The damned choked throat was back. She could feel herself losing the battles with her tears and a sob making its way out of her throat. Turning away from his eyes, she hurried to the cabinet for a towel, all the while, keeping a mantra going in her head  _ ‘You have nothing to do with each other. He did this. You have to move on. You have to accept this. You have to accept this.” _

Seeing him still stuck in the doorway, she moved and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards her bed and seating him on it. She’d felt no resistance from him. Handing him the towel, she spoke “use this to dry yourself off. I’ll go see if you left any clothes here the last time you visited my brother.”  _ and me.  _ She dared not add that in, but both knew they were thinking it. When his hand didn’t come up to take the towel from her, she placed it beside him on the bed and turned to move towards the door, when his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. 


	3. Ambitious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's pretty much from this point where I almost completely diverge from canon. It might not be everyone's cup of tea! But I promise it isn't a terrible story if you give it a chance. Most of the characterizations will be tweaked to act more like how people react irl.

_‘Why? Why now Rey?'_ Her eyes closed, she tried to pull free, but with a sudden yank of his hand, he was standing, and she, in his arms, staring into the eyes she had fallen in love with. 

“Please Taani. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Sweetheart, please look at me. One chance Taani. Please give me, give _us_ another chance? I’ll change. I’ll quit dance. I’ll join dad’s business if that’s what your uncle wishes. He hates dancers, right? I won’t dance anymore. Please hear me out just once Taani. Just once?” The tremor in his voice told her so much. He always was shit at hiding his emotions from her. 

His words fueled her, spurred her to utter the words that had been revolving in her head. “There is no _us_ Rey. There never was. There was just you and your friends. I was just the girl they hung out with because my brother was the dance team co-captain and then because I was your girlfriend. You were my first love, Rey. But I was never yours. Your first love has always been dance. And try as I may, I can never replace that in your heart. There was never an _us_ because for that you have to listen to me, to understand me as well. Have you ever listened to me? You say I have always misunderstood you, but have you ever tried to understand me? Please don’t do this Rey, don’t act like you care.” Her knees crumbled beneath her and she would have fallen if not for his grip on her arms, keeping her steady. 

Taking in a deep breath, she brought her arms up, slowly pushing his hands from her arms. “There’s no use talking about all this Rey. Please dry off. I’ll go get something warm for you and you can wait out the storm in the guestroom or Swayam’s room.” 

“Taani-” 

“No Rey. You did what you had to do. You said what you had to and ended everything. We have nothing to talk about.” She relocated to the kitchen, leaving him behind in her room. 

His words to Sharon and to her on _that_ day ran through her head as her hands mechanically went through the motions. She’d overheard the conversation with Sharon unintentionally, but that didn’t mean her heart broke into any fewer pieces when it finally happened.

* * *

 _“She irritates me! I’m tolerating her only because she is Swayam’s sister. If she weren’t my best friend's sister, I would’ve left her a long time ago. What do I do now Sharon? She’s got marriage stuck in her head. She never shuts up about it! She’s so selfish! I think I need a break from her. But I can’t say anything to her. If I open my mouth, she’ll go running to her brother. And Swayam’s not just a friend for me; he’s practically my brother. And I don’t want to take a gamble on our relationship. But I can’t stomach her any longer! What do I do Sharon? You tell me.” Rey vented out his frustration to Sharon in the Rehearsal Hall_.

* * *

_“Taani, look. You’re a really nice girl. But I feel like as long as we’ve been together, you’ve lost your drive. You’ve lost all sense of yourself and now you’re just waiting to settle down with me. I think this is it for us.”_

* * *

_‘Here you go, Rey. This is who I've become. This is who you’ve turned me into. Someone who focuses on their career. Someone who expects nothing from anyone. A girl who had her rose-colored glasses removed. Was it just a game? Was it all a game for you? Break up with Taani and then try to get her back by saying that the break-up was a planned thing to give me a push towards being ambitious.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know. Not the exact scene. Or the words. But I'm trying to be more realistic here. Let's be honest, Rey's character would NOT mince his words. But we also know he regretted whatever he said. And like I said earlier, I'm diverging from canon


	4. Give Me a Promise

A sudden shout of pain jolted her out of her reverie. She clutched the clothes she had collected and rushed to the room as fast as she could to see him on the floor, his ankle twisted at an awkward angle. “What’s all this? I told you to do one thing and that was just dry off. It’s a simple task. How hard is it? Now you’ve gone and injured yourself. You’ve become very careless. I swear the next time you-” She stopped herself before the next words could slip out of her mouth.

No.

There would be no next time. 

Unintentionally, she’d slipped back into her habit of exasperated fretfulness when it came to him. She knew it originated from all the times he’d fought for her and gotten injured saving her from men on the street and even some low-life students who thought that just because she was the new student, she would be an easy target. She’d gotten into a habit of patching him up after falls and fights. Well, that habit would just have to break. He wasn’t her concern anymore. 

Gathering herself, she helped him up and to the guest room next door and depositing the man on the bed, moving as quickly as possible. His proximity still affected her. Which is why she had made her decision. It had been tough, and she utterly despised that she had to do this. Removing herself from this situation was the only way either of them was going to move on. Taani didn’t know if the wheels she’d put in motion to help him move on were right ones, but this was necessary so that he could forget her and continue his life, starting afresh. So, for that, she had to leave. 

“Rest here tonight. I’ll dress your ankle and Swayam can call the doctor to have a look at it tomorrow if it's something serious. There’s a jug of water on the side table” she said to him, eyes averted. She couldn’t look in his eyes She wouldn’t. If she did, she would lose her nerve. 

“Taani- look at me, please. Don’t punish me like this. I know what I did was wrong, but please, believe me, I didn’t think that it would come to this. I just heard what Sharon was saying and only saw what I wanted to see. But there isn’t a justification for what I did and I’m beginning to realize just how stupid I was to push you away. But please Taani. Please give your Rey one chance to fix his mistake.” He pleaded with her, but her eyes never met his. She turned away, fists clenched, begging herself not to break, to cry in front of him.

“The time for fixing this has passed Rey. You did what you had to. And now I’m going to do what I have to. Yes, you were wrong, and I’m glad you realize that. But Rey-” 

She was abruptly cut off. “If you understand, please give me one chance, Taani. I meant it when I said I’ll do anything. Anything at all to earn your forgiveness.” 

Side-stepping his question, she steeled her heart. Turning to face the man she once lived for, she asked “If I ask something of you, will you give it freely?"

“Ask me for anything Taani. Take everything.”

“I want a promise. I want you to promise me that you will move on after tonight. I want you to promise me that you will smile again, laugh again and become the same Rey I fell in love with. I want you to promise me that you will stop crying. And I want you to promise me that you will never stop dancing. The day I saw you dance; was the day I fell in love with you. Because I saw how in love with dance you were. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I’m asking this because we once shared a connection and a love for each other. Except we were never meant to be Rey and it’s time we both understood that.”


	5. Both Hearts Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one, just cause continuity. I had to end it here since everything is gonna be quick, quick, quick from next chapter on

“Why Taani? Why do you insist on doing this to yourself? Why are you tormenting yourself? Will you be able to look at yourself in the mirror, knowing that I’m dying on the inside every day because of this promise? Because I won’t. I won’t be able to smile, laugh, and dance like everything’s normal. Like I didn’t break your heart and our lives. I'm not that strong. I won't be able to do it. Anything but that Taani. Please.” He pleaded with her, pleading her to take her words back. To ask anything of him but what she had. 

“If I stay, I won’t be able to face myself, knowing what happened, reliving it every day, in every piece of my life. I can’t see you hurting either Rey. Nor can I hurt me. That’s why it’s best if I’m not here for your eyes to see every day and for your heart to hurt. I have to leave Rey. For both of us.”

Taani’s hoarse words struck him in the face as his mind registered them. She might as well have screamed them. Before he could bring up his protests she forged ahead - “Don’t ask me to stay Rey. Please don’t. I beg you. It’ll only hurt both of us more if we see each other day in, day out.”

“When?” the choked word came out softer this time, all the fight gone from his body. Head bowed, eyes no longer able to hold back the unceasing stream of tears, he put up no resistance, made no other sound as her body backed towards the hall, further away from his life, with no moves made by him to stop her from leaving. His mind and heart were shrieking, clawing at him to stop her. To do something. ANYTHING to stop her from leaving. But his body just wouldn’t obey, feet cemented to the floor.

A whispered reply came, the single word reverberating around him until he couldn’t see even her shadow in the doorway any longer, “ _Tomorrow_ ”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have roughly the next 8 chapters written that are being edited slowly. So look forward to those!!!


	6. Hope is Dangerous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated! I'm always looking to improve my style and substance!

“Taani Wake up! It’s time to head out!” Swayam knocked on her door, puzzled as to why his sister was not the first one up and out for once. Maybe she’d overslept. Taani’s head poked out before the door opened slightly and she slipped out.

Strange. Why was she being so weird?

“Is everything okay Taani? Are you okay?” Looking closer, he could see bags under her eyes, red and swollen, like she had spent the entire night crying. “What’s wrong Taani? Were you crying? Did something happen again? Has someone said something to you?”

“No, it’s nothing of that sort. I’m okay, just slightly under the weather. I think I’m coming down with something. You go ahead, I think I’m gonna stay at home today and rest. Plus, it’ll give me a chance to call home and catch up a bit. I’ve been getting regular scoldings to actually call back home more often and for more than our weekly 30-minute chat.” She shot a hesitant smile at her brother, hoping that the excuse would be enough to throw him off. 

_sigh_

“If you’re sure? I’m going to go, but if you feel that it gets even a tiny bit worse, I want you to call me _immediately_. I’ll come and take you to see a doctor. Understood?” he advised her.

It was better to just not argue and let him believe what he wanted to. After all, it was only a matter of him leaving and a few more hours. “Of course. I’ll call you if I feel worse. Now goooo! After all, you have rehearsals and you must be _dying_ to see a certain someone huh?” she jested, mustering up all the energy she could to give him an over-enthusiastic smile, knowing that Sharon was a topic change that would divert his mind instantly. Whatever Sharon may have done against Taani, she would always be her brother's love. 

Huffing out a small laugh, he turned and headed towards the door when her voice called out, a little more subdued- “Bhai! Thank you for being such a great brother. I’m incredibly lucky to have you.” A few quick steps toward him, a hug, hands grasping the back of his shirt tightly, and a shuddering breath before she stepped back, her eyes shining.

His hands came up to cup her face “Hey, hey, hey- look at me Taani. What happened? I’m going to college, not leaving forever! Why the long face? I’m going to come back and when I do, we’ll have a talk about what’s bothering you okay? You seem very tense.” 

“I-it’s nothing. I promise. I just realized that I don’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me, everything you have done for me ever since I arrived here. Sorry, bad timing.” She let out a wet chuckle. That excuse sounded weak, even to her ears. But her brother, sweet Swayam, believed her anyways and headed out. She kept her eyes grounded on his back until she could see him no more in the distance.

Inhaling deeply, she let out the air through her mouth. Wiping the moisture from her eyes, she moved to her room, ready to put the plan into action. Only two people knew she was leaving and just one knew the details. She had revealed it to Rey in a moment of weakness last night, which is why it had become even more imperative that she expedited this process. He was still in the guest room, oblivious to the happenings of the foyer.

She’d spent the night alternating between packing and resisting the urge to breakdown and it was finally done. 8 boxes. That’s what her life in this city totaled to. The movers were due to arrive in less than 3 hours. She had to get Rey out of the house by then. If he stayed any longer, he would tell her brother everything and then Sharon would know and if the three knew then it wouldn’t be long before the entire team found out. They would try to stop her. They would help Rey come up with stupid, inane plans and schemes and she didn’t know if she was strong enough to resist their collective efforts.

_C’mon Taani. One more push. Talk to him one last time. Get him to leave so that you can move on without the guilt of holding him back._ If she’d already decided to move on, why was it so hard to get her feet to comply? It was one foot in front of the other. So why did her feet feel leaden?

' _You HAVE to move on Taani. Rey cannot have the kind of hold on you anymore. Break it. Break it Taani. A few steps, a few more sentences, one more cup of coffee from the pot you made for Swayam, one last packed lunch, and that’s it. A few last things to wrap up. You CANNOT afford to get emotional right now Taani. Be strong. Be STRONG._

Squared shoulders, her eyes set on the door of the guest room, she stepped determinedly towards the threshold and knocked. When no reply was heard, she poked her head into the room and the sight in front of her almost broke what was left of her heart.

Rey was crouched in front of the bed, right where she’d left him last night. Head resting on his folded arms, he was still as a statue. Taking a few steps hesitantly towards, him, she called out “Rey. Rey get up, it’s time for college. Swayam has already left.” His head whipped up at the sound of her voice as if realizing her presence for the first time since she had entered the room after last night.

“Rey it’s time to go. I’ll set out the coffee and lunch for you. Get ready. Swayam and the team must be waiting for you. Rehearsals start in 1 hour.” She couldn’t do it. She had to get out of this room. She couldn’t look at him when his eyes shone with the pain and tears that she had put there. If he was the one crying, why did it hurt _her_ so goddamn much?

Why could she hear his heart breaking when she was the one who had been hurt?

_‘STRONG Taani. You have to be strong. You told him to move on, but first, you have to show him that YOU’RE moving on.’_

Once again, her conscience egged her on to do what was the right thing. She had to put on the toughest act of her life, of pretending that everything was okay, that the fragile illusion of normal they had constructed wasn’t about to shatter in a few hours. She crouched beside him, “Rey, you have to go to class and for rehearsal. You can’t just stay here. Bhai didn’t know you were here, and he’ll ask questions if you weren’t in college, but here instead. Rey please, I don’t want any trouble. You know he’s already upset; I don’t want to face any more questions. You have to get up and get going.”

The unmoving gaze stayed on her for a few more unnerving seconds before he hoarsely whispered out “Yeah. Yeah okay. Give me a few minutes.”

“Okay”

“Taani” his voice whispered. 

“Yeah?” 

“Can we talk later? After college I mean. Please? I just want to talk to you, once, for a few minutes. No expectations, no relationship drama, nothing except a few minutes of two people who know each other talking. Please Taani.”

“I’m no- That’s not a good idea Rey. There is no way that we will be able to talk without the pressure and the weight of everything that’s happened between us hanging over us like a sword. We missed that train Rey. I’ll set out the coffee and lunchbox on the dining table. Remember to eat between classes and rehearsal and please remind bhai to eat too.

“Wh- why does this feel like I’ll never see you again? Taani?” face turned towards her, his eyes pleaded hers to say the things that were in her heart, everything that he was dying to hear.

A gentle hand cupped his face and with a soft touch of lips to his cheek, she whispered “Take care, Rey.” Standing back up, as if she hadn’t just shocked both their systems massively, she moved hurriedly out towards her room.

Locked away in her room, she could hear him puttering around next door. Footsteps going out to the kitchen. ' _Picking up lunch and coffee.’_

His footfalls progressed towards the front door, only hesitating minutely outside her door before moving on. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as she heard the quiet click of the front door.

' _That was a bad move Taani. What the HELL possessed you to do that back there? WHY? You know that that one little impulsive move of yours could do so much damage to everything that has been. You saw his eyes. It gave him hope. Hope for something that could never be again. Hope is a dangerous thing Taani, you know it all too well. Or have you forgotten?’_


	7. Wounds Take Time to Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And without further ado, presenting the next chapter: family bonding time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm moving back into my apartment over the next few days so here's a semi-early, longer update! I've changed many canonical happenings and there are many events that I am ignoring in the story so as usual, keep an open mind! I appreciate all the support and any reviews! Nothing makes me happier than knowing that someone enjoys what I put out!

Shaking her head, she moved to pick up her phone, putting the incident out of her mind, and taking the first step to moving on. But 20 minutes later, she got off the call with the moving company, puzzled. What did they mean that they had no scheduled pick up? Her uncle had arranged everything, she had the confirmation number! But they'd said it wasn't showing up in their system. The doorbell rang. What in the world- Had Swayam found out and come back? Was Rey back? Nobody except her was supposed to be home.

"Is my Princess ever going to open the door or do you want me to go back home without her?" Hearing the lovingly familiar voice, she rushed to throw the door open and leaped at her uncle, grabbing him in a vice-like hug.

"Uncle Rishi, what are you doing here? You were supposed to pick me up at the train station back home! How- I mean what- I mean- that movers' company told me something about my confirmation number not being in the system and I was just about to call you and now you're here, but Swayam is in college and he doesn't know about me coming home and please don't tell him, do you want some coffee?" She rushed out an incoherent sentence of jumbled words and sounds that Rishi struggled to decipher. When he finally took a seat on the sofa, he brought his arms around her in a gentle side hug.

"First, I want you to breathe. Second, to answer your questions or the ones I understood anyways- I didn't make a reservation with the movers because I came to pick you up myself which also answers your question about me picking you up. I won't tell Swayam about you coming home but you need to Taani. You're his sister. It's better if he hears it from you rather than someone else. You might be my niece Taani, but you know that we've always thought of you as a daughter and Swayam considers you his real sister. He needs to know when you make big decisions. No matter how old you get, no matter how mature and big you get, you'll always be our own to protect. Please princess, you need to tell him. And I would love some tea, not coffee. Your aunt pumped me full of caffeine before I left and the 12-hour journey barely felt like anything with all that in my system. Maybe brew some green tea? Or some black lemon. You pick." He smiled gently at his young niece.

He knew that she'd been hurt and even the who, why, and when. That's why he allowed her the little whims and independence because she never hid the big things from him. He trusted her more than he trusted Swayam, whose life ambition was to open a dance academy with his friends, with no care of how the family business would function. It was Taani who had persuaded him to let Swayam pursue dance and in turn, had given up her own dreams of running a fashion house and having her own collection so that she could take Swayam's place at the helm of the business.

Well, not anymore. She would no longer take a backseat to those who didn't appreciate her worth. Swayam, Rey, Sharon, the entire dance team. She would intern at one of the best design companies he could contact and she would then take over the fashion sector of Shekhawat Industries, leaving the day to day running to him for the time being. With Swayam showing absolutely no interest in the business whatsoever, the different factions would have to be managed by all of his nieces and nephews. Taani would, of course, be the managing director once she got settled in. He saw her at the very top of the company eventually, owning and managing it. He wanted his child to be happy, and if that meant going behind her back to return her lost passion to her, then so be it. She deserved it after all the bullshit she had put up with from his son and his friends.

A cup was gently placed in front of him, and he looked at her. "Taani, go tell the driver to load all your boxes into the car. We'll set off in an hour."

"Yes uncle"

Instructions passed on and with nothing else to do but wait, she settled down on the sofa next to the man she considered a father. He peered at her over his glasses, getting a good look at her. "Come here, princess." And she scooted over into his hug, letting the tension drain from her body as the familiar feeling of safety and warmth encompassed her. "Taani I know what happened with Rey hurt you. But I also know that you wouldn't be this hurt if you didn't care so much. Often the ones who hurt us the most are the ones who love us the most."

When her reply came in barely a pained whisper, he had to close his eyes and muster up all the strength he had so he could help his child through her pain- "When will it stop aching? Will it ever go away?"

"Taani, child, this is a pain that will take time. Your wound is fresh. It needs to heal and that could take a lot of time and patience." He then continued on with an analogy that would help her, because, in many ways, she was still that 6-year-old he had brought home, scared and cold. "It's like that time you fell off the swing in the park when you were 10. Remember that? You skinned your knee and it bled through Swayam's white handkerchief. It took almost a whole 2 months for it to heal completely. You need to wait and let this wound heal too. I have supported every decision of yours until now and I will continue to do so. And I am proud that you trust me to look after your future." She claimed her place by his side, curling up, and dozing off for the first time in months with a sense of peace.

"Sir? The luggage is loaded. We can leave whenever you're ready."

Rishi shook Taani awake gently and guided her to the car in her half-awake state, promising that she could continue her little nap in the back of the car with him. And with that, they set off, away from what had been the best, the most beautiful and some of the most painful months of her life. She hoped Swayam forgave her and she hoped that she forgave herself one day for hurting Rey and lying to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, drop your views/angst/criticism in the box below!!


	8. The Long Path

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a finalized update schedule!!! Updates will be posted every Monday between 7 PM and 10 PM EST!! I will follow this pretty closely unless I get called in for work, at which point, the update will be posted on the following day at 5 PM EST.

****College****

Rey dragged himself into the rehearsal hall. This is not where he wanted to be. He wondered why Swayam hadn’t mentioned Taani’s departure before today. He  _ had _ to have known. So why-?

Speaking of, he saw his best friend going through his stretches for the day’s practice, but he seemed distracted. He kept looking down at his watch every few seconds. “Hey, Swayam. Gotta talk to you.” Rey gestured him over

“Hey, what’s up dude? You’re late today. What happened?” Swayam enquired, a puzzled look on his face. Rey was never late, especially for rehearsal.

“Swayam how can you be this okay with what’s going on? Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be at home, spending time with your sister?” Rey enquired of the man in front of him, unable to quite grasp the situation completely.

“Rey- what are you talking about? What’s wrong with Taani? I saw her before I left. She was fine! When did you see her?” the rising panic that he could hear in Swayam’s voice set bells ringing in his head.

“Swayam, that doesn’t matter right now. Did Taani tell you? Did she tell you Swayam??” His hands were now gripping Swayam’s shoulders, shaking him. 

“What Rey? What was she supposed to tell me? You’re not making any sense dude. What’s going on?” Swayam was frantic now, thinking something was wrong with his sister. What was it that  _ only _ Rey knew? That she told her ex-boyfriend before she told her brother?

Rey dropped to his knees. “She’s leaving Swayam. She’s leaving your house, this town, everyone. She’s leaving _me_.” His voice tapered off into a whisper as his head hung loose.

“WHAT?” Swayam’s shout attracted the attention of the team, who rushed towards them.

“What’s wrong Swayam?” “Yeah, what happened?” “Why’s Rey on the floor dude?” came the rapid questions.

His hand swiped down his face, trying to comprehend the words that Rey had just uttered. _‘Taani, leaving? But why wouldn’t she tell him? He was her brother? Why the hell would she just leave? So close to graduation? Did his dad know? Where was she going to go? And why the hell did Rey know before him? Were they so estranged that she told her ex-boyfriend before she told her own brother?’_ Questions ran through his mind as his mouth re-formed the words to tell the team of the news that Rey had just let out, 

“Taani’s- Taani’s l-leaving? Taani’s leaving. Oh  _ god _ . Taani’s  _ leaving.  _ I’ve gotta go.” Before he could make a move towards the door, several hands gripped him and pulled him back in their midst, questions firing at him.

“LEAVING? What do you mean she’s leaving? And where to? What about college? And her classes? And her responsibilities as student body president? What about graduation? What did she say, Rey? Swayam? Why aren’t you guys speaking?” he was bombarded with questions

Swayam exploded, “I DON’T KNOW OKAY? I don’t know. I don’t know why she didn’t tell us. I don’t know what her plan is. I don’t know what she’s gonna do for graduation. Or about her responsibilities as president. I don’t know where she’s going. I just…don't know.” His voice had gotten lower and trailed off into a soft whisper at the end. “I don’t know anything anymore.”

“We have to stop her Swayam. We have to stop her. Please. You have to do something. Please, you have that right. You’re her brother. She’ll listen to you. Please Swayam. Do something. Anything. Stop her. Swayam I’m nothing without her.” Rey pleaded with his best friend, hands clutching the collar of his shirt, hazel pools leaking. 

“Rey-Rey, listen to me. Listen to me. She won’t go anywhere, okay? Pull yourself together. Listen, she’s Taani. She won’t just leave without telling me anything, right? I’m her brother. And even if she is, I’m sure you, me, _all of us_ can do _something_ to stop her. She loves you, Rey, you have to believe that. Now, get up. We’re going to my place to see what all this is about and clear up whatever confusion this is.” There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Swayam hated to give the man any kind of false hope, but hope was all that was left for Rey. That’s all he could hold onto, hope that Taani would one day forgive him and return. These two had a long, twisted path ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! As usual, feel free to drop a comment down below or DM me! My ffnet profile is also under the same name!


	9. Words Say What I Couldn't (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taani left letters to say the words she couldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry ya girl's a little late! Everything hit all at once yesterday! But, I'm here now and I bring a letter in this update!!

**At the Shekhawat House:**

“TAANI! Taani! Not in the kitchen guys!”

“Not in the bathroom!”

“Not in Swayam’s room!”

While everyone had rushed through the house looking for the missing Taani, Sharon had beelined straight for her room, only to find it void of any personal artifacts. “GUYS. I think you should see this.” She called out.

Swayam and Rey dashed over, only to come to a sudden halt at the sight of the room’s bareness. Everything was gone. All that they could see in the expanse of the room were some papers on the study desk beside the window. Seeing everyone still frozen in place, Sharon moved towards the table to see three envelopes sitting on it. One addressed to Swayam, one to the team, and one to Rey.  _ ‘This is bad’  _ she thought. But she distributed the envelopes nevertheless, keeping just the team’s envelope to herself. She motioned for the team to leave Rey and Swayam to their privacy in Taani’s room and move out into the hall to read the letter.

**Team Letter:**

_ Hi guys! _

_ I want to start off by thanking each and every one of you. You’ve taught me so much, about friendship, love, and the things that are important in life. I know that this was a decision that nobody thought I would make. I don’t blame any of you for what happened, whether it was everything that took place between Rey and me, or the little tiffs that we had over my authority and duties. I’m sorry guys, I have to do this. But that doesn’t mean that I’m gone forever, and I’ll never check-in! I want to see you guys work just as hard as you've been working and be even more successful. _

_ Vicky, once everything settled down, you became my best friend. I went to you when I couldn’t go to anybody else. You listened to me, you made me laugh when the world seemed bleak. You gave me support and a listening ear when everyone misunderstood my intentions and blamed me. You heard me when I was at my lowest. _

_Nil, you’ve always been such a goofball. You, Amar and Bharat, are the younger brothers I always wished I had. I’ve lost count of the number of chocolates you’ve bribed me with to get me to forgive you for your stupid antics. Please never change guys. Stay the same childish, goofy younger brothers who snuck me ice cream in the cafeteria when my brother said I’d had enough sugar for the day and the ones who purposely got kicked out of class to make me laugh when I’d had a bad day._

_ Girls- I’m sorry. I just can’t look at you and not see the most cohesive, supportive, and glamorous squad. You are a unit and have always been so. I know there was a lot of friction between us when I first joined because of me being a non-dancer and being a small-town girl. But you guys took me into your fold, helped me understand and adapt to the big city. You helped me navigate the difficulties of city life, college life and I knew that whenever I had boy trouble, I could come to you. You teased me just like best friends do. You warned boys off just like older sisters would. Thank you for being my companions in the locker room, for accepting me, and for letting me plan your dates and surprises for the boys. _

_ Thank you all of you, for letting me, Taani, a simple girl from a small town into your larger than life world and creating just a small corner in your hearts where I could live and grow. I hope that one day, our paths cross again and- no. No. You know what? Our paths WILL cross again. We won’t forget the bonds that formed between us and we will meet again one day, in the near future. Thank you, everyone. No matter how many times I say this, it will never be enough for the year you’ve given me. Vicky, Nil, Bharat, Amar, Sharon, Girls, you’ve all been the light in my dark world many days. Stay smiling and keep dancing.  _

_ Love from your best friend, your little sister, your partner in pranks,  _

_ Taani S. _


	10. Words Say What I Couldn't (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Letter to her dear Bhai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's going up a day early cause ya girl has work and exams tomorrow! Enjoy the thing that emotions do when they get too much in this installment of: "Taani telling us exactly how bad we fucked up and how much we are NOT at fault, even though we are."

_ Dear Bhai _

_ I know that no one saw this coming. Everything over the last year has happened so fast that I’m still unable to wrap my head around it. I’ve attached two letters to this one bhai- one for Rey and one for the team. Please make sure they get these. _

_ Bhai, I have no words to describe how lucky I feel that you are my brother. We may not be related by blood, but you’ve fulfilled every responsibility as if we were. You’ve been my protector, my savior, my confidante, and the big brother I always wanted. When you first left home and decided to attend college in a different state instead of the one close to home, I thought I would lose you to the glitz and glam of the city and our bond would weaken over time. When I finally got the opportunity to attend St. Louis with you, I thought that tauji would never let me out of the house! After all, a young girl, the first girl in the family to be accepted into such a prestigious college! But he allowed me to attend because he trusted that you, as his son, would take care of me.  _

_ I know it wasn’t easy to be a brother, a parent, and a mediator when you had all this sprung on you, but what can I say? I have the best big brother in the world, and he has never let me down. I know you and I have had our ups and downs too. You’ve been so torn between defending me as your sister to the whole team but also supporting your team when facing Taani, the student body president. Bhai, I don’t blame you one iota for anything you said during those days. You taught me valuable life lessons, just as an older brother should. The most important thing I learned from you was how to look at situations practically, and think with my head, not the heart. Yes, family is important, but what needs to be done, must be done.  _

_I'm sorry that I left without so much as a goodbye, but it got too much for me. Everyone will call me weak for running, and maybe I am, but you know what? That’s okay. Because those who matter know the reality of this situation and that’s enough. I know Rey is your best friend and pretty much family when it comes down to it, which is why I’d rather leave than make things worse between you guys. You and I are a family, and always will be but the loyalty that Rey has for you is hard to come by in someone who isn’t related to you in this day and age. Never blame him for what happened between us. He made some mistakes, and I made some mistakes. Neither of us is blameless. But both of us have to try and move on. _

_ And just like we have to move on, you need to resolve your issues with Sharon bhabhi. I know that compared to you guys, I’m still a novice when it comes to love, relationships, and heartbreak. But bhai, what you and Sharon have? It’s so pure. You both radiate love when you guys are around each other. You get lost in each other and everything and everyone around you seems to disappear. All I want is for this love to blossom and for you to make her my bhabhi as soon as you’re done with college (and no arguments! I know you guys have been dating for months, trying not to let anyone find out. But I’m your sister, you couldn’t  possibly expect to hide it from me for long). No ifs or buts about it, only Sharon is allowed to be Taani’s bhabhi or I’m going to tell taiji not to let you back in the house.  _

_ One last thing bhai, I have handed in my resignation for my post. Please help Rey select a better AGS. He doesn’t need more conflict and another person challenging him at every turn.  _

_ Please take care of yourself, bhabhi and Rey. Hold the team together bhai. They’ll look to you for guidance. _

_ Love, _

_ Taani _


	11. The Princess and Her Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, Rey gets his letter (and the story begins to deviate canon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hellooooo! I'm a few hours late, I know, but when you do 2 back-to-back 12 hour shifts, you tend you just want to pass out on the closest comfortable surface after driving 1hr home from said shifts. BUT, I have an update ready! So here we go!

_ Rey, _

_ There is so much I want to say to you Rey. So much I could say and should have said, but we ran out of time. But I want to tell you a story Rey. A story about a girl. _

_ She was a small-town girl, living with her parents and a big extended family. She ruled the house on the hill, like a princess would because she was her parents’ miracle child. She was the only girl child born to an extensive family of boys. So, she had a lot of protectors growing up. One day, she really wanted chocolate ice cream after dinner but there was none at home. So, her parents, who could never say no to her, decided to drive out to town and get some for her. It was late at night, and the driver had already retired to his quarters. _

_ They never came back, Rey. The little girl kept waiting for her ice cream, looking out of the window every few minutes, until sleep overtook her tired eyes. Morning arrived, but her parents never did. Scared, she called her uncle, who rushed to the house only to find her hysterical and scared. They sent out search parties. The entire town searched for the princess’s parents. And they were found, but they were never to return to the princess. Their car had swerved dangerously in the night to avoid a large tree that had collapsed on the road. But in avoiding the fallen tree, their car had gone right off the ledge of the hill they lived on.  _

_ Her uncle took her home, invited her into his family with open arms, gave her a real brother, and the love of the family she had lost not even a sunset ago. _

_She grew up, encased in a cocoon of love, family, and friendship. She gained a brother, who would protect her from the worst. She gained a father in the form of her uncle, who would always support her, lift her up and ground her. She let a new family into a heart. She created a chosen family with a group of ragtag outcasts through high school into community college. Her brother left to study in the big city, with promises to keep in touch, promises to visit during breaks. But he never came back either. And his calls home gradually dwindled too. He had gotten swept up by the fast life of the city. When he did call, he told her stories of a wondrous world, where he had the best of friends, who were all amazing at the art of dance and he told her that he’d found a family in them. When the calls tapered off, fear gripped her heart. A fear that said that she’d lost her brother to his new family and he’d never return to the sister he promised the world to._

_ He’d told her stories of his best friend. A friend who was his brother. A friend who he looked to for advice and to learn from. A friend who always had his back. And as he described this friend, sent home letters, pictures and medals over the years, she fell for the man he described. She fell for his passion for dance, his passion for life, and his passion for his friends. And she thought to herself, maybe. Just maybe. So she set out into the big open world, where her brother resided. He’d created an identity for himself and maybe, it was time she stepped out from the warm embrace and protection of her safe box into the real world.  _

_ So, she left her life, her friends, her chosen family and came to the city. She reunited with her protector and she met the man she considered her prince charming. But she’d never learned that life was rarely like a fairytale. Her brother had forgotten how to be her protector and the man she loved was never hers, to begin with. And yet, she persisted. She carved a small space for herself in their vast world, where she was happy to live. She was happy to share their victories and cry with them in their loss. She lost herself along the way. But in doing that, she and her prince charming grew closer. He gave her an identity again and lit a fire in her to assert herself. So she did. She spoke out, asserted herself, and tried to help them in her own way. But all she got back was scorn and ridicule. That was alright with her, as long as her prince charming was by her side, supporting her. And then, her world came to a screeching halt. All in one week. They parted ways. She would have understood his real reasons for parting had he talked to her. But she’d been insulted because he’d brought in council from individuals who had no right to interfere. Where once she’d had at least the scorn of others, all of a sudden, she was alone, in a tar-black abyss with nowhere to turn. Her friends, adrift, with no idea who to support because they were his friends first, drew away. Her brother, too involved in the princess he was in love with, her prince charming drifting away from her and the corner that she had carved for herself suddenly began suffocating her, causing pain to rise from deep within her soul where the ugly scars of betrayal and heartbreak festered.  _

_She had to leave, Rey. She had to leave it all behind because the longer she stayed, the more those scars kept ripping open. The princess kept stitching the pieces of her heart and soul back together but the thread kept getting pulled apart by this new world she had entered. She’d lost everybody who she once considered hers in this new cut-throat world. She had to leave to put herself back together. So she packed up and left. She left the shattered rose-colored glasses behind. But, she left with new ambitions, new rules, and a new perspective of this life. To get herself to the top of that mountain. Because she was safe there. Nobody could hurt her there. Nobody could break her heart again. And nobody could see the scars that bound the pieces of her heart together. _

_ Do you understand why the princess left? Maybe they weren’t right for each other or maybe it wasn’t their time yet. You understand, don’t you Rey? They both had a lot to learn from the world yet and the world perhaps wasn’t done with them either.  _

_ Take care, Rey. Take care of yourself, take care of my brother, and please make sure that what happened between the princess and her prince charming doesn’t happen with my brother and Sharon. Someday, maybe in another life, the prince and princess will meet again.  _

_ Yours, _

_ Taani.  _


	12. A Brother's Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late in updating. So, so, SO late. Work has been a royal pain and I've had 2 exams in the last 3 days. So here's a small update until the next chapter is edited and uploaded on time next week, promise.

You say I was the best brother when I failed. I failed you, Taani. Failed as a protector, as a confidante, as a  _ brother _ . That’s why you found it easier to leave than to confide in your brother about everything you were going through. You say that you don’t blame me. How Taani? How can you be so self-less? The only thing you  _ should  _ be doing is blaming me. I- why Taani? Have the distances between grown so much that you couldn’t come to me? You say that as family, it was my duty to teach you life lessons, so why does it feel like I let you down? Why does it feel like I failed in that duty? Why does it feel like I’ve lost the most precious thing to me? 

Taani you can ask anything of me and you know I would give you the world if I could, but after what Sharon did to yours and Rey’s relationship, forgiveness is the one thing that is  _ not _ in my heart. Because of her, I drove my sister away from me, albeit unknowingly. I inadvertently contributed to yours and Rey's heartache. So how can I be happy when I was a source of your misery? You’re right, I didn’t see this coming, none of us did. But you’re also wrong Taani. 

Out of all of us, you were the only one who was  _ not _ to blame. Blame me, blame Rey, blame Sharon, but Taani, nobody will  _ ever _ lay any blame at your feet. None of this was your fault. We dropped the ball. Even now, as I look over at Rey, I can’t help but feel that we let both of you down. We interfered where we had no right to. I knew about Sharon’s plan and yet, I never said a word. I let her hurt that which was most precious to me. I was supposed to protect you. That was what the rakhi you tied on my wrist over so many years meant. I failed. I failed as your brother and as your protector. I failed as a friend. And now, you and he both are suffering and may suffer for the rest of your lives because of it. 

And Rey… Taani, Rey doesn’t deserve my forgiveness for going along with Sharon’s plan. But I know why he did it. I’ll forgive him, the day you admit that you were not at fault in any of this. If his stupidity, or if I’m completely honest, all of our combined stupidity has cost me my sister, there will be no forgiveness coming from me. Not for anybody else and certainly not for myself. But I’ll do what I can for you Taani. Because you trusted me enough to ask me to take care of your love. And he is, you know? He is your love. The two of you are meant for this path, even though life may make you take detours, each one will always lead you back to each other. 


	13. Gotta be Strong (Just Keep Pushing On)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh helloo! What's this? An update? On-time? *le gasp*  
> It has been known to happen, but honestly, I'm just procrastinating starting a paper that's due in 4ish hours. Soooo, yeah. (Points if you can guess the reference to where I got the chapter title from!)

- **Group-**

“Guys. Guys, GUYS!! I know this is terrifying and nobody expected this. But please think of what Rey and Swayam are going through. That’s Swayam’s sister. And Rey’s…everything. She’s family, you guys. I know that this shocked us, so can you imagine what they’re going through? We have to band together. For our boys. Wipe those tears! For god’s sake Nil! Clean that snot off your face! You know what, go wash your face, right now. Just go wash it. Honestly you guys.” 

Sharon was clearly in her element, finally having something to do after looking at the morose faces around her. Yes it hurt, but Taani was family, and family never really left. They would reunite once again. Until then, it would be up to her to be a fearless leader like Rey, the understanding one like Swayam and the demanding Sharon she always was. She needed to be the diva of St. Louis once again.

Her gaze fell upon Vicky. This boy was hurting as much as Swayam and Rey. Taani was his best friend. They shared everything. Taani was always closer to the boys in the team.

But Vicky, he protected her when Swayam couldn't. He was her pseudo-big brother. The lost look on his face looked strange. It was a face Sharon had never seen before.

She knelt beside him, hand on his shoulder.

_*Squeeze*_

A hitch in his breath and a question she couldn't answer. Her friend had never sounded more child-like.

"Why? Why Sharon? Why would she leave like this? I thought that we'd loved her enough for her to not notice that Swayam was always busy. I thought we'd loved her enough to heal the damage that Rey did. Why weren't we enough Shar? I tried. I promise I tried so hard to love her, be everything a best friend and a brother should be. We all did. Why would she-? Where did we go wrong Shar? When did it all stop being enough?"

"I d-don't know Vicky."

_LIAR._

She inhaled shakily and continued. "I don't know. But you were always enough. You were more than enough. You picked her up when Swayam couldn't. You were her confidante. You helped her. You were there for her. We can't go through life asking where we went wrong. We need to dust ourselves off and get back up. I promise you, Taani will come back."

_ 'Will she?' her conscience chimed in, forcing hollow words of reassurance from her mouth to follow.  _

“She has to. After all, Rey has her heart and she left a bit of herself with each of us. As incomplete as we feel, she feels worse. So you need to be strong right now, for her. Give her your strength. She might not be physically present, but she owns a piece of each of our hearts. Send your love through that piece. Send your strength. Band together. For Taani.”

“For Taani,” he replied, a grim look set on his face.

Her orders had sent the entire group scattering, trying to fix themselves up for their boys. After Vicky, Sharon set off on a quest of her own- Swayam. Her lover boy. Her Majnu. The man who held it together for her all that time. It was her turn to be the strong one now.


	14. A Girl Destined to be Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this episode- somebody actually gives a damn about her future and a mystery person will debut soon to save Taani from idiots and be in her corner for the rest of time!! Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 14!~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello hello! I return with the next installment of how Taani's future is so much better w/o idiots in it.

**-Taani and Rishi in the Car-**

As day turned to dusk and cities passed, sleep claimed Taani. Completely relaxed, head in the lap of one who she felt safest with, she was lulled to slumber listening to the baritone voice of her uncle on the phone.

Looking down at his surrogate daughter, he thought back to the precious memories they had made, she had been so happy then. Eyes twinkling and her light laughter echoing through the house. That had all changed to what he could now see was a haggard and worn-down face with stress lines that definitely hadn't been there before. He would fix this. Carding his hand through her hair, he began to plan.

"Driver, make a stop at the next rest area that has a place to eat"

"Yes sir."

"Taani, child, it's time to get up for now. You need to eat, and I need to make some calls. C'mon, up you get." A groaning noise sounded in the car. "No princess, groaning won't work this time. You haven't eaten anything for a while. If I don't feed you, your aunt will kill me. Now go, freshen up a bit in the washroom and grab something to eat," he chuckled.

As the car pulled to a halt, Taani rose out of Rishi's lap, rubbing her eyes slowly. Spotting signs for a few cafes, her stomach grumbled, reminding her of her ravenous state. Looking over at her companion, she was sure he'd heard her stomach's call for nourishment. With a red face, she murmured, "I guess I'll go freshen up and find something to eat. Would you like me to bring something back for you?"

"No Taani, I'll pick something up. You go ahead and make sure to take the driver with you. I have a few calls to make and then I'll join you in the food court. It'll do us good to sit and eat here. Give us a chance to stretch our legs out for a bit."

Once he was sure she had entered the building, a sigh escaped him. The events that he wanted to put into motion would take his girl away from him, possibly for a very long time. Would that be worth it? Would it be worth seeing her heal and flourish away from the life she had here, that had given her nothing but heartache?

Yes.

Bringing the phone to his ears, a grim expression set on his face, he spoke into the device. "Taani's coming home with me. I want you and her to fly to Seattle in a week to take care of stuff there. I need her away from here and there's no better way than to have her go with you to start learning the ropes of running the company. She is the future CEO after all, once I retire. The change of pace, scenery, and companions will do her good. And of course, having you there will put her at ease."

Nodding as a reply came back from the other end, he continued, "she doesn't know that you're working for me yet. I thought that having her come into the office after graduation and surprising her would go a long way, but…" A sigh escaped him. "I don't know how much she'll tell you but I'll brief you when we get into town. You'll be taking over our marketing and advertising department. I'll have Rosie prepare the briefs. Meet me in my cabin tomorrow at 9 sharp and we'll go over the details."

"Yes, she'll complete her degree in Seattle while interning at the company."

"No she doesn't know. She won't refuse. I rather get the feeling that she'll be glad to be away."

_A pause as he listened to the voice on the other end._

"Ask her that. If she wants to tell you, she will. You _will not_ push her under any circumstances. Is that clear? I'll see you tomorrow, take care."

Now that that was out of the way, he heaved a sigh of relief. He had set into motion the wheels of what might be the making of Taani's future. But only time would tell. Turning, he began moving towards the little building off to the side, relaxing as his daughter came into view, chatting amicably with the driver. His child had always had an affinity for drawing people to her warmth and her light, no matter where she went and who she was with. And just a few hours away from the big city had already seen a lot of the stress from her body melt away, which only affirmed his decision.

A quick lunch and they were back on the road to where a new path beckoned his princess. A path that would see her reach her potential and be the queen she was destined to be.


	15. Fix This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here, Rey has a flashback about being an idiot and Sharon's stupid idea and words pretty much bring about the destruction of their lives as they know it. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lo! We come to you from the middle of a nice rainstorm with 5 assignments and 3 quizzes behind us with part 1 of what I consider the longest chapter written so far, beaten out only by next week's chapter. This is definitely non-canonical soooo.....

**Rey**

* _Flashback_ *

"… _What do I do Sharon? You tell me." I could see Taani behind the door of the rehearsal hall, but for the first time, I couldn't bring myself to make eye contact or let her know that I knew of her presence. It hurt me to do this and I regretted the moment I agreed to this plan. What have you forced me to do Sharon? What have_ I _done? But if it was out, I had to see it through and then do what I could to lessen the pain Taani would feel._

 _My eyes focused back onto Sharon's face as I realized that she had started speaking. They were unrecognizable words that shook me and made me fear that maybe, just maybe, she had just caused irreparable damage. "Rey you have to break up with her. She's irritating. She irritates me so much. She takes up all of Swayam's attention all the time and he barely has time to focus on me. She's a little village girl, and you, my friend? You're deserving of so much more. I mean, look at you. You've got style, swag, people pay attention to you when you enter a room, you've got class. She? She's undeserving of you. I mean, have you seen any girl who's_ that _attention-seeking? First, she acquired the assistant student body president to befriend you and then took_ your _position as the president! The absolute nerve! And then she dared to order me around. ME! Sharon Rai Prakash! Even then, I was okay, because it was her duty you know, I could deal with it. Then she started to occupy Swayam's every thought! Constant worry! Taani this, Taani that, Taani's not doing well, Taani's stressed. Taani, Taani, Taani. That's all I would hear from him all the time. And then that's all I would hear from you too when I called. This girl has ruined all of our lives by coming here. I honestly wish we'd never met her!" As she continued, my horror mounted, and I_ knew _that I had lost Taani as those damning words continued to spill._

_I glanced towards the door where a girl had once stood. Empty. Fingers snapped in front of my face, "Hey Rey! Listen to me! I'm talking here!"_

" _WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT SHARON? WHERE DID ALL THAT COME FROM?" burst out from me as soon as my eyes snapped back to her face. I knew the fury in my voice was taking it octaves higher, but I was beyond care. Yes, the plan was to make Taani break up with me, but with the words Sharon had just said? I had no idea what to do next._

" _You told me to make it convincing Rey. I just exaggerated a bit and added a few made-up details. Why? Something wrong? Did I say too much?"_

" _YES SHARON. YES, YOU SAID TOO MUCH. What were you thinking? You know what Taani's like. You know she takes everything she hears and compartmentalizes it and twists it until it eats her up. You shouldn't have said all that Sharon. You took it too far. I just wanted her to think that we needed a break from each other. Not to push her away from me forever! She's my LIFE, Sharon. I am who I am because of her. You remember what I was like after Kriya left right? You saw me. Did you like what you saw? Because what you've done might- what you_ have _done_ will _break me. I can't live without her, Sharon. I have to fix this."_

_*End Flashback*_

'I have to fix this.' It became my mantra for the next few days. I had to fix this rift- this canyon that had opened up between you and me, which had swallowed up everything and pushed us insurmountable distances apart.

When I finally got the chance to corner you one day, I have no idea what came over me. You were in the study lounge, checking over the files when I saw you. You hadn't spoken a word to any of us in the four days that had passed since. I stepped towards you and saw your head jerk up. Somehow, every time, you manage to feel my presence before I can announce it. You always knew when I was around you. Were you that attuned to me Taani?

You allowed me to speak that day, gave me the chance so gallantly to do what I had set out to do in the first place. But that's not what I wanted to do. I wanted to apologize, say it was a prank, _anything_ to make you believe in me once again and let me take you in my arms, never to let you out again. Anything to make you believe that I never meant a single word of it, to make you see the disgust I felt at myself at uttering those worlds. I know you felt like your world ended that day because mine did too. All the things I wanted to say, but my mind blanked when you gave me a chance to talk. On autopilot, I said the stupid words that I would come to regret the rest of my life.

I don't know why Taani. I couldn't tell you why. My mind was blanking when I finally saw that you'd given me a chance to talk. I couldn't form words. And then, Sharon passed by and the only words that entered my mind were the ones she had fed me two days ago when she made this stupid plan.

But you've taught me the real value of love Taani. I thought I knew what love was before you. I kept looking for love in the world and I had the perfect image for a life partner, and Kriya fit the profile perfectly. She was a dancer, she had the fire and passion to make dance her career and she challenged me, defied me, and tested who I was at every turn. We had a fire burning defiantly, dividing the two of us until one day, we leaped into those flames and surrendered. But I forgot that the fire of passion could burn too.

And burn me it did. After a while, it became exhausting, all that arguing, fighting over every single thing. The smoke from that fire rose, wrapped around me, suffocating me until one day I couldn't breathe.

A relationship shouldn't be exhausting. When she confessed that she used me for my talent, for my love and to win the dance competition, I realized that the fire that I once thought to be passion was my path to ruin. I ignored the smoke that could kill me in favor of the fire that would extinguish as soon as the air to fuel it ran out. All my friends always believed that my perfect life partner should be a dancer, who understands my passion and has the same ideals as I do, but you showed me that passions and ideals don't have to be the same. Once Kriya left, I didn't want a new relationship. I had given up. Because, if after 3 years of giving my everything to a relationship, all I was destined for was betrayal, heartache, and pain, I didn't want it anymore. I wanted nothing to do with it. I was happy to be the Rey who was always happy for his friends, who lived for them, his family, and his dance. I was happy as that Rey, but I was still broken. I once told you that if you hadn't entered my life, I would've lost trust in all this love, affection, and everything that went with it. You brought me back. I meant every word then, I still do, and I always will. You fixed me Taani.


	16. I, Reyaansh Singhania, Promise....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I felt bad about where I left off and it seemed choppy, so deviating from the schedule, we bring to you the next chapter of Rey's thoughts

We met under the strangest set of circumstances, during a time in my life when I was so confused, and everything was extremely chaotic. Our first meeting had me thinking that the team had stooped low enough to send a girl into the _boys' locker room_ to set me up on a date after Kriya to bring back the old, happy Rey. I never even fathomed that you would come into my life and flip it on its head. I kept pushing you away, keeping you as a friend because you were my best friend's sister and I'd seen how protective he was of you. You toughed it out in front of everyone else after you became GS and had to shoulder all that responsibility. You took on that responsibility when nobody else would, for fear of upsetting the previous holder of the post- me. But you took it on, never telling anyone the reason. All while knowing very well that I had sworn after I stepped down from the post that whoever took over the post would be my number one enemy from that day on. But how could I hate you Taani?

How could I hate you when I saw how you were with Swayam at home? When I saw the real Taani, cleaning up after everyone else's mess, exhausted every night after keeping her back up all day, getting every single report done on time, giving the house help days off and taking care of the entire house yourself, making every meal for your brother, taking care of Sharon's blunders as a cultural secretary staying up all night when she messed up, all while taking no credit for herself. The Taani who organized the most successful charity event this college had seen in the past decade? I used to marvel at how selfless a person could be when I looked at you Taani. You gave your best, picked fights with the dance team, knowing damn well that some of them hated you, just to push them to be better at their skill. You pushed us to be better and to reach for greater heights. All while taking so much onto yourself. You never even told your own brother anything. How could I hate the person who emulated with her every action the word selfless?

You picked fights with me, stopping me and reminding me that it wasn't your fault that your excellent work ethics led the authorities to select you for this post. Hell, they might have selected you, but _I_ was the one that had nominated you in the first place. I brought your name forward when Sharon prompted me to think about how mature you were in handling tasks and how seriously you took your duties as my assistant. No matter how rude I was, no matter what I said, you stood there and let me vent. You kept me on the straight and narrow. You even convinced the college authorities that I had stepped down due to a lapse in judgment and to let me back into a position as your assistant.

Yet, the minute I stepped in, I abused the power I had received and let it get to my head. I forgot that every action I took, everything I said reflected back onto you. I would get away scot-free as an assistant, but you caught all the flack, and you _never even uttered a single word_ about it to anybody. You repressed it, buried it deep, deep inside you. You put on a mask for everyone else, but you forgot that there was someone else who was privy to the moments you let your guard down at home. Swayam may have been too busy in his relationship with Sharon, but when I came over, my eyes looked for you. My heart saw yours weep through the smile on your face. I worried for you, despite there being nothing between us. You wormed your way into my heart with your conviction. You once told me that you wanted to understand and get to know me the way Kriya understood me and I went off on you. The truth is Taani, Kriya never understood me. You did. I said so much that day that I didn't expect you to forgive me. But you did. You've always forgiven me for every single word I've uttered in anger. I don't deserve any of that or you. I know you're too good for me Taani, you've proven it repeatedly.

Sweetheart, I know I shouldn't have gotten a third person involved in our relationship, but I didn't know what to do. I saw you losing yourself and your ambition as our relationship progressed. I should have talked to _you._ I tried to understand your point of view and your thoughts. But the truth that I have finally figured out is that I never truly understood you or even tried to. I always thought you were wrong. When my friends thought that you were in the way of our aspiration of starting a dance academy and they mocked you for being a non-dancer, I kept mum. I never raised my voice in your defense. After a whole year of being together, you sprung it on me that your dream was to be Mrs. Reyaansh Singhania and you would be satisfied with your life. And again, I misunderstood you. I thought you had given up on your dreams, to be with me and I never wanted that. You've suffered so much and you've had to give up your dreams and ambitions through life. Now I see that you just wanted someone to take care of you. You just wanted a life partner who would be there for you. There is nothing wrong in wanting to be a spouse who stays at home. It's one of the toughest jobs out there and I belittled you and it in my confused haze.

Because I forgot that there are two people involved in a relationship. I forgot that to understand you, I need to talk to you and ask you for your opinion. You were right when you said that there was never an "us" in this relationship, just me. All there ever was were _my_ dreams, _my_ friends. I always treated you like my girlfriend, but I forgot that I had to be your boyfriend too. I assumed so many things about us and took so many things about you for granted and yet, you never protested. You kept sacrificing yourself for me until you couldn't give anymore, and I kept taking.

I wish I could tell you that everything Sharon said was scripted, written and orchestrated by her. I wish I could tell you that I had no way to prepare myself for the words that my eyes read and that my mouth spat out. I wish I could tell you that I read Sharon the riot act and for the first time in my life screamed at her because she had definitely gone too far. I wish for a lot of things, but nothing more than I wish I could take back all the misery I've given you in the last 2 months. I saw your heart break at the words that came out of my mouth and I have regretted nothing, _nothing_ more than those words, spoken that day. I should have stopped it. But I got scared. I was scared to lose you and by not doing anything to fix my mistake, I lost you anyway.

By not speaking up, I pushed you away from me and for that, I deserve whatever you've said. I deserve this distance between us because I'm the one who put it there. I deserve all of this Taani, but you don't. You deserve happiness. You deserve to have your own life, your own identity, and your own ambitions.

And today, I, Reyaansh Singhania, promise you Taani, that I'll start smiling again. I'll start dancing again. I'll become the Rey that you fell in love with. I give you that promise freely. And, I promise you one more thing. I promise that one day, Rey and Taani will reunite. And I'll wait for the day when you'll be ready to forgive me. Because you loved me once. And if I hold on long enough, maybe you'll love me again. He took out the diary that had once occupied Taani's desk drawer. This was the only thing he had left now until Taani herself returned.


	17. Where Love Once Lay

**-Sharon and Swayam-**

Sharon entered his room hesitantly, her eyes taking a few minutes to adjust to the dark. Her eyes focused and she could barely make out a shape sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over, as if the weight of the world lay on its shoulders. She moved silently towards him, as if towards a spooked child.

She'd already sent Rey home with her driver, leaving his bike parked outside the Shekawat home, knowing that he would be in no condition to do anything, much less drive home.

Her hand reached towards him and he jerked upright as if sensing its trajectory. "Leave, Sharon."

"Swayam-"

"I said leave Sharon."

"Swayam, Taani was my frie-"

"I SAID LEAVE DAMMIT. SHE WASN'T YOUR ANYTHING. DON'T YOU DARE...don't you dare call her a friend. A friend doesn't do what you did to her. A brother doesn't do what I allowed you to do. Leave me alone, for god's sake. If you have even an ounce of respect for Taani as a human being, just go." His voice, which had startled her at its volume and made her flinch, had lowered to but a bare whisper by the end of his sentence.

"Swayam, I-. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone ahead with this stupid plan."

His voice was deathly quiet when the reply came, "No you shouldn't have. You should never have interfered. You should never have taken advantage of my love for you to drag me into this. You should have stopped Rey's train of thought and slapped some sense into him. You should have come to me with his concerns. But you didn't. I feel cheated, Sharon. I loved you beyond what I ever thought I was capable of and in that love for you, I ignored my family. I let you take me for granted. Let you rope me into one scheme and plan after another. And _this_ is what I get back. My best friend - broken, and my baby sister - gone. I don't know if a sorry is enough Sharon. I don't know if I can ever forgive you, let alone right now. Please, just leave. Go back to ignoring me, go back to hating me. Because I can't muster up any sympathy or love for you."

She stood rooted to the spot, despite his pleadings. Words she'd never heard. The voice that always spoke of love at the thought of her was devoid of any emotions for the first time in years.

"I won't ask you again Sharon. Leave. Leave before my heart starts festering hate where love lay."

Those words shocked her into movement, as her shoulders shook with silent sobs now stuck in her throat, wanting to escape and make themselves known. Sharon shuffled towards the door, afraid to make even the slightest of sounds in the now vacuum-like silent room. Just as she stepped past the threshold, she whispered, knowing that her words would reach the broken man's ears just fine, "I'll fix this Swayam. I promise you I'll fix this."


	18. The Ones Who Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vicky and Rey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO GODDAMN LATE with this update but the US election kinda took over my life. There were also midterms that I was battling for 3 weeks but more importantly, US elections.That shit was important for my future y'know? But I'm pretty happy with what they called. ANyways, here's making up for not giving y'all anything for almost 2 weeks. This and the next one focuses on a few people whose characters were not given justice. 

**-Neha and Vicky-**

It was tough to see him so sad and broken up in the aftermath of that day. Vicky was hurting and there was nothing she could do to help him. She approached his seat on the couch slowly, and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, "Sad I know my babu is being because leaving Taani is."

"Yeah Neha, I'm upset. She was my best friend. How could she just leave? Did all this time spent with us mean so little to her? My best friend Neha! My best-" his voice trailed off into a whisper and his head collapsed into his hands. Her arms tightened around him, bringing his head back to rest in the crook of her neck.

"Taani and Vicky, best friends. But Taani Neha's friend too. Her leaving is hurting Neha too. Just like babu sad, kagu also feels sad. Bad we all are doing to Taani and now going away from us she is. But babu see, one day, getting to apologize we is and Taani is forgiving us."

"Will she, Neha? Will she? Let's take a look at what all we've done shall we? We taunted her for being a non-dancer, we belittled her ability when she showed us she _could_ dance, when the whole Shivan debacle happened, even _I_ gave her a wide berth. I promised to be there for her, promised to support her, and even I abandoned her like Swayam did. I abandoned her to support stupid schemes and plans. I left my little sister in favor of boys who on good days don't know their left from their right. Taani was right. Friends are great, but at the end of the day, your family, chosen or birth, are the only ones who will support you and stand by you. You're my family Neha. You're my other half. Taani was, _is_ , my best friend and little sister, Swayam, my older brother and Sharon, my bhabhi by proxy and Rey. Rey has been my best friend since we were kids. So HOW? How could we just abandon her like this?" His eyes glazed over as he got lost in his memories.

_*Flashback*_

_A boy was directed to the seat next to him by their teacher. New boy, in the middle of the school year. That was an unusual occurrence. The teacher then introduced him "Reyaansh, this is Vicky. And Vicky dear, this is Reyaansh. His family just moved into town. Can I trust you to look after him and show him the ropes?"_

_His eyes widened of their own accord. This was a big responsibility, and if he did well, Mrs. S might just talk his parents into letting him join the after-school dance club. He nodded his head frantically and turned to the boy seated next to him. "Hi, I'm Vicky. Technically my name is Vikramjeet, but that's a mouthful, so I go by Vicky."_

_A shy voice answered back, "I'm Reyaansh. But you can call me Rey, i-if you want."_

" _Okay! Rey it is! Nice to meet you Rey! By the end of today, you'll be a guaranteed expert on the school and its people."_

_*End Flashback*_

That was the start of a beautiful friendship that had lasted all through school and to college. Over a decade of being friends and today, he couldn't even recognize the man his best friend had become. The man who had taught him how to ask his first crush out on a date, the one who had offered his TV room for said date so he could tell his father and her father that they were only going to Rey's house for a while to hang out. How could _he_ be so cruel and crude to the girl he called the love of his life?


	19. Someone to Call Their Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Happy HAppy Diwali! Here's next week's update in lieu of celebrations (and my graduate applications). This one is for Vicky and Taani, because she deserved some support when there was literally NONE from ANYBODY. I'm salty.

_*Flashback*_

_Low sounds of sobs reached his ears as he passed by the roof access door. Vicky checked his watch- 6 p.m. Who was here this late? Usually, the only people here were people in official positions, like...Taani. A groan escaped him. Of course, it would be her. Nobody else would be crazy enough to stay and fret this long for the most trivial things. She was always on their case about...well, about everything. And always so hyper. For a while, she'd almost been ice-cold towards them when she was fighting with Swayam, Sharon, AND Rey, but ever since a few days ago, she'd calmed down a lot. Nobody knew the reason, but the looks she exchanged with Rey sometimes when she thought no one was looking told him that he was involved somehow. Nobody else knew, obviously. Nil and Bharat just thought that it was the chemistry between the two, and if Vicky hadn't been able to read Rey the way he could, he would've thought the same. Luckily, he knew his best friend inside out. But anyway, back to the sobbing and...Taani._

_Should he go into the alcove? Should he call Swayam? Obviously, she was hiding there because she wanted privacy. But...she was his friend? However reluctantly, but she was. She might be stuck up sometimes, she might be extremely confusing, she might be the most controlling person he ever had the displeasure of encountering, but she was a part of them. And Swayam's sister, but that was secondary. The way Swayam was treating her didn't exactly scream protective older brother right now. Maybe a listening ear would help. Hesitantly, he turned towards the sound and advanced. Glancing around the corner, he saw her hunched over, shoulders shaking from the force of her wracking sobs. A wince came over his face. That did not sound good. His approach was slow as if walking towards a spooked kitten. Squatting down beside her, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder._

_With a jerk, Taani's head came up to look at him, eyes rimmed red and blood-shot. The skin around her eyes was red and puffy._

" _I-I was just taking a break. Sorry, sorry. What are you doing here this late?" She stuttered out as she registered his presence. Hands clenched tightly on her lap and cheeks flaming, her eyes darted from his face to stare blankly behind him._

" _Taani...Taani, tell me what's wrong. You're upset. Did something happen? Did Vishaka say something? Sharon? Or Swayam? That's why you're here, isn't it? It was Swayam? What did he do this time? Or was it someone else? Rey?"_

 _Her breath hitched slightly and he_ knew _._

" _This has something to do with Rey, doesn't it?"_

" _W-w-what? No-no, of course not. I was just a little stressed. There's too much work to do and bhai and Sharon can't help out, because they're too busy with rehearsals." she said as bitterness permeated her voice as a twisted smile grew on her face._

" _That's not it Taani. I can tell. Look at me, please. We might not be that close, but we are friends Taani. And friends tell each other things. Tell me. Tell me what he did. Said." He said in a firm voice, his arm now reached around to her other shoulder, slowly pulled her into him._

_Her face crumbled. He had to strain to hear her next words. "I can't do this anymore. I want to be done with all this."_

" _All what Taani? What can't you do anymore? Tell me. Talk to me Taani."_

_The fight seemed to have left her. "All of it. The fighting. The taunting. The ignoring. Just...everything. All I wanted to do was help, don't you see? It all backfired like it always does. It's just me left, standing in the dust. The team supports each other, bhai supports Sharon and Rey supports bhai. But who supports Taani? WHO? Once again, I'm left to pick up the pieces of me that R-they left in their wake." She turned to clutch at his shirt, her knuckles white and eyes wrought in anguish as they stared into him._

_He didn't have an answer. The truth, when it came down to it, was that she **was** alone. She'd had sporadic, if any support, ever since she had stepped into a position of any kind. At every turn, they had opposed her. Most of the time, just for the sake of it. The realization horrified him. There was no instance in his life that he hadn't had the support of his friends. Arms wrapped around her as he pulled her to him if only to hide his face in shame of their ignorance._

" _I'm sorry Taani. We messed up. I can't speak for anyone else, but_ I _messed up. None of what's happened is your fault. We're stupid, we're the ones who have their priorities wrong. None of it is your fault, I promise. Rey messed up. He's an idiot. He doesn't see what a gem you are and everything you've done for us."_

_The wracking sobs continued._

" _You just wait and see. I'm gonna rip him a new one tomorrow. You might be uptight, you might be unpleasant to work with sometimes, but you don't deserve all the abuse that's been heaped on you."_

_She jerked back as if horrified at the very idea of confrontation. "NO! Please don't. I don't want any trouble. If you talk to him-any of them, they'll just think that I bitched about them. I just want…. I don't know what I want. Just to be done with all the fighting I guess."_

" _No, Taani. Not talking won't solve anything. They'll keep talking. Saying worse things about you. And I won't let that happen Taani, not anymore, now that I know about it. I know that we've been unfair to you after the whole debacle with the sixth dancer and then you being a non-dancer. You deserved the benefit of the doubt. And we were supremely unfair. But that ends for me right now. If Swayam won't speak up for you, I will. If he won't protect you, I will." His words came out with a conviction that made her look up at him in awe, her sobs a distant memory as she registered the meaning of the oath he had just sworn._

" _You shouldn't say something like that. It'll do you more harm than good. If you start hanging out with me, protecting me, defending me, they'll ostracize you too. You don't want that. You should go Vicky. It's late and you need to be up tomorrow for rehearsals. And if you look too tired, Neha will get worried. I'll finish up the last bit of paperwork and head home" She placated him with a smile._

_It stung him, how quickly she forgave them all. "No Taani! You need someone in your corner! I don't care about me but I see today what everything has done to you! No. You're coming home with me to my place and you're staying over. I'll take care of Swayam. C'mon. Get up. We're going and that's final. You need a good night's sleep and a day off tomorrow. Screw everyone else and all their work. The world won't end if you take a day off. You let me worry about their bullshit." The fragile hope and happiness in her gaze struck him deep. How badly had they hurt her that basic caring surprised her and brought her close to tears? When had she shattered so much that someone just attempting to put the pieces back gave her hope? This ended here and now._

" _I can't promise you that everything will be all better on the morrow Taani. But we will work on it._ I _will work on it. I'll protect you. I'm sorry I haven't so far. But I will try. I'll try to be a true friend, who stands by you in times of need and who brings you happiness. And I'll protect you like...like a brother should." He added hesitantly, praying he wasn't overstepping his boundaries._

_The glimmer of hope in her eyes strengthened a little and the innocence she once arrived with made itself known in her tone as she shakily nodded and stammered, "I- Thank you. I can't tell you- You didn't have to say all- Thank you Vicky….-bhai?"_

_A giddy feeling overcame him but he nodded as calmly as possible. "If you want. Nothing would make me happier than for someone to call my own. A family after my mom and dad."_

_Tears pooled in hazel eyes as she remembered her own parents. "Okay."_

_He helped her up and out to the taxi stand. There would be plenty of time to talk and bond. Right now, she needed a break and he needed to think._

_*End Flashback*_

And thus went the start of a bond that now lay in tatters around him, his girlfriend trying to collect the pieces.


End file.
